The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

"Because when we love we always strive to become better than we are." 

I am really confused about how I feel about The Alchemist. On the one hand the story and its repetitiveness irritated me. On the other hand, I am not ignorant enough to think that this is a simple story about a shepherd and his adventures. 

An Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago dreams one night of a treasure that he knows in his heart is his destiny. Affirmation from a gypsy and a meeting with an extremely knowledgable king confirm that his dream was in fact a premonition, and he sets off in search gold. What he acquires on the way turns out to be much more valuable than what he seeks. 

If you're a spiritual person, this book might affirm your belief. It might encourage you to look for signs and whisperings in your own life about destiny and fate. At the same time you might become frustrated with it in the same way that you might become frustrated by your religion. It will cause you to question why we bother doing anything if everything is written and decided for us anyway. It might give you an excuse to plod along with your ordinary life, safe in the knowledge that what is meant to happen will happen. Or, it might just encourage you to go out in search of a more exciting destiny. 

What I loved the most about it was its tolerance of the three faiths. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all feature, and its characters, when they battle, do not fight over religion. In fact, they all accept each other despite their differences in belief, and appear to accept each other's Lords in the presence of one another. It's as if they all accept that they are worshipping one creator. 

The Alchemist is less than two hundred pages, so can be read in under a day, and I think it is well worth investing that time in it. It is a story of self discovery and God. If you're an atheist I don't think you will like it. If you're contemplating religion or are spiritual, then I think you have things to gain from reading it. It might encourage you to listen a little harder to life's omens. It will certainly give you a renewed optimism. 

Recommended.